What is your favorite recording of Pictures at an Exhibition? The one you would use to "sell" someone on the work if they've never heard it before? I ask because I just heard what I consider a subpar performance from Fabrizio Ventura and the Sinfonieorchester Munster. Very unmusical. I recall hearing various performances that were devastating in their impact but forgot which recordings those were. Perhaps Solti/Chicago?

Unfortunately that one is a 92 page document which has texts and translations of Boris Godunov, Kovanshchina, various songs &c, but not Sorochintsi Fair. A large part of the English in that document appears to be Google translated from the Russian, some parts are quite hilarious.

Unfortunately that one is a 92 page document which has texts and translations of Boris Godunov, Kovanshchina, various songs &c, but not Sorochintsi Fair. A large part of the English in that document appears to be Google translated from the Russian, some parts are quite hilarious.

I've listened to the first act of Sorochintsi Fair with the aid of a synopsis and the Russian vocal score. What an amazing piece, why isn't it more popular? it certainly makes my top ten opera list (assuming the next two acts are just as good).

Still a bit handicapped without a libretto. Can someone who owns a copy of Kobbe's Complete Opera Book tell me if that work has an English libretto for SF in it, if so I might invest in a copy.

If anyone who knows French would care to point out any mistranslations, or if anyone who knows Russian would care to point out where the French (and my English) are far from the original, then I would be very grateful.

Boris Godunov - Symphonic synthesis. It's my first listen from this CD. A pleasurable music, beautifully memorable, glorious. Mussorgsky has been a blind spot for me, I think it happens because other composers/musicians have orchestrated his works. In any case, this orchestration by Stokowski is marvelous.

Boris Godunov - Symphonic synthesis. It's my first listen from this CD. A pleasurable music, beautifully memorable, glorious. Mussorgsky has been a blind spot for me, I think it happens because other composers/musicians have orchestrated his works. In any case, this orchestration by Stokowski is marvelous.

Hi, S.A., I haven't heard that particular recording, but if you enjoy Stokowski's version, and are looking for another recording, I recommend this one by Cleveland/Oliver Knussen.

Both of those Stokowski CDs are excellent. I know it's cheating but I love the 'Boris Godunov: Symphonic Synthesis'; however it is also, together with Vaughan Williams's 'Pilgrim's Progress' one of the only operas that I listen to and greatly admire.

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"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

If anyone who knows French would care to point out any mistranslations, or if anyone who knows Russian would care to point out where the French (and my English) are far from the original, then I would be very grateful.

I got a couple of suggestions from readers, and from readers on another forum. I have now placed a revised version as a download from the Wikipedia page on the opera.

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